Eight gold in wrestling
New Delhi: Indian grapplers ended their campaign on a high in the International Wrestling tournament in Sassari City, Italy, bagging as many as nine medals, including eight gold in Men’s Freestyle event. Sonu (61kg), Somvir (86kg), Mausam Khatri (97kg) and Hitender (125kg) bagged a gold each in their respective weight categories. Earlier, Amit Kumar (57kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (65kg), Praveen Rana (70kg) and Narsingh Yadav (74kg) had also clinched the yellow metal. Rajneesh was the lone Indian wrestler who settled had to settle for a bronze in 65kg Freestyle division
Sethi withdraws nomination
Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board’s former Chairman Najam Sethi on Monday withdrew his candidature for the ICC President’s post and requested the PCB to nominate a former Test great for the position. Sethi, who is presently a senior member of the Board and heads its executive committee, said the withdrawal was with immediate effect and that he has requested the PCB to nominate an ex-Test cricketer in his place. “Since the ICC announcement that from next year the post of ICC President will be open only to iconic Test cricketers nominated by member Boards, I have increasingly felt that it is only fitting that this rule should be implemented straightaway so that one of
Pakistan’s great iconic cricketers should be so honoured,” he wrote in a letter to ICC Chairman N Srinivasan.
PCB gets lanka support
Karachi: PCB has got more support from the President of the Sri lankan Cricket (SlC) Interim Committee, Sidath Wettimuny in its mission to bring back regular international cricket to Pakistan. Sri lanka’s former Test opener, who is heading the interim set up, Wettimuny told the media in lahore that the successful tour by the Zimbabwe team would help convince other teams to play in Pakistan. Zimbabwe became the first Test side to play in Pakistan in six years since militants attacked the Sri lankan team in lahore in March, 2009. The Zimbabweans are scheduled to return home later tonight after playing two T20 and three one-day internationals successfully before full houses at the Gaddafi stadium. The Zimbabwean cricket head has already supported the return of international teams to Pakistan and said Zimbabwe would be pushing for other teams to play in Pakistan at the ICC level.
‘India in good hands with Kohli’
Mumbai: Australian fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath believes India’s flamboyant batsman and Test skipper Virat Kohli is the right person to lead the team and his aggressive approach both on and off the field is a positive sign as long as he is scoring runs. “I think it is a positive. Because you want a leader who is strong, who wouldn’t take a backward step, who would lead by example. But you don’t want to go too far or go overboard crossing the line,” McGrath, who is on a three-city tour as Hardy’s brand ambassador for Sula Selections, he said. “I think Virat has held himself in good control at the moment. I like the way he has gone about it. He can back it up with runs with the bat. He is a class batsman as well. Being aggressive is one thing and can’t back up is another, but Virat can back it up. I think India are in good hands moving forward with him as a leader.”
Gayle’s 151 goes in vain
london: Chris Gayle ended up on the losing side despite marking his debut for county side Somerset with a remarkable hundred in their Twenty20 Blast match against Kent on Sunday. The 35-year-old West Indies left-hander, renowned as one of the most dynamic batsmen in world cricket today, struck 10 fours and 15 sixes as he made a stunning 151 not out off just 62 balls at Taunton’s County Ground. Yet Kent still came away with a three-run win after they defended a total of 227 for seven that featured Sam Northeast’s 114. Gayle could only watch as Somerset slumped to 22 for two before the powerful Jamaican smashed three sixes in eight balls.
shuttlers hope for better show
Jakarta: Ace Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth would look to shrug aside their disappointing Australian Open outing with a much superior performance in the $800,000 Indonesia Open Superseries Premier to negin yere here on Tuesday. For world no.1 Saina, who has won the title here thrice before (2009, 2010 and 2012), it will be real test of her character after the straight game loss to China’s Shixian Wang in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Besides Saina and Srikanth, two-time World P V Sindhu, Parupalli Kashyap, women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will also be vying for the top honours.